Recruiting Roundup: Weekend Visits and Tidbits
By JACOB POLACHECK Here’s a look towards this
By JACOB POLACHECK
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. — Cade Cunningham, the 6-foot-7 combo guard from Montverde (FL) Academy, had a great showing on the second day of practices at the Team USA U-19 Men’s Basketball Training Camp on Sunday.
Cunningham, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 3 player in the Class of 2020, made a great case to be the top player in his class after Sunday’s practice. He played well on both ends of the court, with physical and aggressive play.
“I’ve been solid,” Cunningham told ZAGSBLOG Sunday. “I feel like I can be a lot better and assert myself more. I’ve been a little bit passive but I’m just trying to feel it out a little bit.
“The USA Camp is a different place. You have to try and fit in with some of the other good players.”
In terms of his recruitment, Cunningham recently cut his list to ten. He is currently considering Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Memphis, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma State, Virginia and Washington.
It’s worth noting that Washington head coach Mike Hopkins is an assistant coach for the U-19 Team.
“Every day I’m evaluating it some more,” Cunningham said. “That list was just to put something out there. Out of respect, I wanted to let the schools I know I wasn’t going to and let the schools I do like know.”
Cunningham hopes to further cut down his list in the near future.
“I want to cut it down to way less than 10, probably around five,” he said. Ten was a lot for me. I’m probably going to talk with my family some more and get it down to five. That is the goal.”
With no visits planned at the moment, Cunningham said he wants to start taking visits for Midnight Madnesses and football games, during the next school year.
By JACOB POLACHECK
CHAMBLEE, Ga. – The Kentucky Wildcats may already have the No. 2 ranked recruiting class in 2019, but they aren’t done yet.
Current commits and McDonald’s All-Americans Kahlil Whitney and Tyrese Maxey spoke Tuesday about their efforts to recruit uncommitted All-Americans such as Matthew Hurt and Jaden McDaniels.
“I’ve been talking to Matthew Hurt, messing with him,” Maxey said at Media Day ahead of Wednesday’s McDonald’s All-American Game (7 p.m., ESPN2). “He’s on my team, so every time I get the chance I’ll mess with him. I want him to come to Kentucky and I want him to help us win a national championship.”
By ADAM ZAGORIA
The Isaiah Stewart Sweepstakes has come to a close.
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound five-star big man from La Lumiere (IN) and the Albany City Rocks announced for Washington on Sunday night on ESPN.
“Next year I will be attending the University of Washington,” the Rochester, N.Y., native said on ESPN.
Ranked the 5 prospect in the 2019 ESPN 100, Stewart chose the Huskies over blue bloods Duke, Michigan State, Syracuse and Kentucky. He is the projected No. 6 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, per ESPN.
Washington coach Mike Hopkins established a bond with Stewart during his time at Syracuse.
“Me and Coach Hopkins go way back and I’m a big relationship guy and relationships played a major role in my recruitment,” Stewart said. “He’s a coach that I trust to push me harder and help me accomplish my goals, and I’m looking forward to going there, winning games, soaking up things and just working my hardest.”
Stewart said he liked that Hopkins left Syracuse to forge his own path at Washington.
“Coach Mike Hopkins chose to go out West and start his own legacy, and that’s the type of player I am,” he said. “I’m a different type of player. I take my own path and prove people wrong.”
By JACOB POLACHECK Lamont Butler Jr., the 6-foot-1
